The best place to start is our current daily drivers then a Top 12 List of the cars that I have owned. I have owned a total of 75 motorized vehicles including 47 cars, 7 pick-up trucks, 9 SUVs, 4 vans, 3 motorcycles, 2 Class A RVs, 1 Class C RV 1 go cart and 1 golf cart.
Our daily drivers are a 2021 Ram 1500 Bighorn and a 2023 Jeep Wrangler. These two vehicles will eventually displace vehicles that are currently shown below on the Top Dozen list.
My Top Dozen list of favorites of the 75 motorized vehicles that I have owned is:
- 1987 Porsche 924S – the car that I drove the fastest – on ovals (Atlanta Motor Speedway, Pocono Motor Speedway, Saugus Speedway), drag racing (Houston International Raceway), road courses (Road Atlanta, Sears Point), two road rallies and two hill climbs (Pikes Peak, Chimney Rock). I drove this car in the 1990 One Lap of America.
- 1999 Porsche Boxster – the only car that I drove to a first place victory. This is also the only car that I won my class in a concour event (Porsche Club of America).
- 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible – purchased in January 2019 and sold in November 2022. This was an awesome car!
- 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sahara – with a hard top and sunrider convertible top to replace the Freedom Panels. We used to pull this Jeep behind the Forest River Sunseeker RV.
- 2008 Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT
- 2006 Chevrolet Corvette convertible – Cathi’s former daily driver and sold to buy the 2017 Corvette.
- 1986 Jeep Cherokee
- 1975 Chevrolet El Camino
- 1993 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
- 1989 Jeep Comanche – Hemmings Daily has a good history of the Jeep Comanche.
- 2005 Jaguar X-Type 3.0 – this car came with the Select Edition 6 year / 100,000 mile warranty
- 1974 Fiat 128 (the “slime mobile”) – only car that could easily get airborne going over a hill on a city street, but it sure didn’t look like Steve McQueen’s Mustang in Bullitt.
The honorable mention list of the cars that I have fond memories but didn’t make the Top Dozen are:
- 1968 Porsche 912
- 2003 GMC Sierra (“Big Red”) – best full sized pick-up truck
- 1989 Chevrolet Corvette – Cathi’s first Corvette
- 2006 Pontiac Solstice
- 2005 Mazda Tribute – took us on one of our best vacation trips. See the photos from the 2011 road trip to California here.
- 1991 Fleetwood Pace Arrow
- 2000 Yamaha Golf Cart – it was fast after the motor was rewound by Plum Quick
- 1999 Mercedes Benz SLK – first hard top convertible
- 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
- 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth – Only the second turbo car that I have owned and like the 1974 Fiat 128 in the top 10, it is a fun car to drive.
Other cars and motorcycles that I have owned include:
- 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne 2dr Sedan – my first car. A 6-cylinder stick shift. My dad bought this car for me. He paid $100 for this 1959 Chevy. – No photo available yet.
- 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS – my second car. This Impala had a 327 V8 with a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. I installed a 6-cylinder engine and manual transmission which improved fuel economy and eliminated the high oil consumption of the old V8. 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS Photo
- 1967 Yamaha 125cc motocross motorcycle 1967 Yamaha Motorcycle Photo
- 1968 Triumph motor scooter Triumph Motor Scooter Photo
- 1969 Chevrolet Pick-up Truck 1969 Chevy Pick-up Photo 1 Photo 2
- 196_ Go Cart – no photos survive of this red two-seat go cart. It had a 3-1/2 HP Briggs & Stratton Engine. I purchased it for $25 and was able to buy the Yamaha motorcycle with the money from selling it.
- 1969 MG Midget – we pushed this car further than we drove it. The longest trips used a gas can for a fuel tank. 1969 MG Midget Photo
- 1970 Fiat 850 Sport Spider 1970 Fiat 850 Sport Spider Photo 1 Photo 2 – Brochure Cover
- 1974 Volvo Station Wagon 1974 Volvo Wagon Photo
- 1974 Pontiac LeMans 1974 Pontiac Brochure Cover
- 1975 Mercury Comet 1975 Mercury Comet Photo
- 1976 Honda 360cc Motorcycle 1976 Honda 360cc Motorcycle Photo
- 1976 Chevrolet Vega 1976 Vega Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3
- 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1977 Monte Carlo Photo 1 Photo 2
- 1978 Toyota Corolla Liftback 1978 Toyota Corolla Photo
- 1979 Fiat X1/9 – I gave this to Cathi for earning straight A’s in Graduate School 1979 Fiat X-1/9 Photo – Monroney Sticker
- 197_ Triumph Spitfire 197_ Triumph Spitfire Photo Photo 2 Photo 3
- 198_ Chevrolet Chevette Chevy Chevette Photo
- 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit convertible – M’lissa’s first car VW Rabbit Photo
- 1980 Pontiac Sunbird Pontiac Sunbird Photo Photo 2
- 1982 Toyota Corolla Station Wagon Toyota Corolla Photo
- 1984 Dodge Short Wheelbase Window Van Dodge Window Van Photo Photo 2 – Monroney Sticker
- 1984 Chevrolet Cavalier Station Wagon Chevy Cavalier Photo
- 198_ Oldsmobile Calais Oldsmobile Calais Photo
- 1987 Honda Civic Wagovan – first 6-speed stick shift Honda Civic Photo Honda Civic Monroney Sticker
- 1989 Isuzu Pick-up Truck Isuzu Pick-up Photo
- 1989 Chevrolet Astro Van Chevy Astro Van Photo 1 Photo 2 Monroney Sticker
- 1992 Mercury Capri Mercury Capri Brochure Photo
- 1992 Pontiac Grand Am Pontiac Grand Am Photo 1 Pontiac Grand Am Photo 2 Pontiac Grand Am Photo 3 – Monroney Sticker
- 1994 Geo Tracker Geo Tracker Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3
- 199_ Pontiac Trans Sport Ad for a Pontiac Trans Sport.
- 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee in Boise, Idaho on delivery day.
- 1996 Saturn SC2 2 door coupe (green) 1996 Saturn SC2 in Roswell, Georgia.
- 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse Mitsubishi Eclipse Photo 1 CarMax Window Sticker Monroney Sticker 1 Monroney Sticker 2
- 2001 Saturn SL2 4 door (blue) 2001 Saturn SL2 in Roswell, Georgia.
- 2001 Ford Aspire (2) – both Anna and M’lissa had a 2001 Ford Aspire in high school, Anna had an automatic and M’lissa had a stick shift Anna’s Ford Aspire. Both Ford Aspires in Roswell, Georgia.
- 2001 Geo Metro – Anna’s car in high school Photo.
- 2001 GMC Sonoma Photo
- 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle TDI – the car with the highest mpg and my first turbocharged car. I am now ashamed to say I owned a Volkswagen diesel and this car has been demoted from my ‘honorable mention’ list 2002 Volkswagen Beetle at the National Corvette Museum.
- 2004 Saturn Vue – with a Honda V6 and Yokohama tires Saturn Vue Photo Saturn Vue’s Honda Engine Photo
- 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle convertible – This was the Flint Edition VW Beetle Convertible which is a Limited Edition in Dark Flint with Garnet Red Leather Interior and Top and matching Alloy Wheels. VW New Beetle Convertible Photo Photo of two VW New Beetles in the Garage
- 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD – with 2.3L Atkinson Cycle Engine and ECVT automatic transmission – The worst car that I have owned and only car that I started a lemon law lawsuit to get the air bag problems with this car fixed. FORD refused to fix this car. I ranked my Mazda Tribute as number 5 honorable mention, so the problem with the Mercury Mariner was with manufacturing. 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4 WD Photo Mercury Mariner Hybrid Monroney Sticker
- 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible – Traded this away in November 2015. A few good qualities but one of my least favorite cars. 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible getting new Yokohama Tires on day 1 and 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible in Florida.
- 2001 Newmar Kountry Star Motorhome – 37 foot long on a W22 Workhorse chassis with an 8.1 Liter GM V8 and an Allison transmission. 2001 Newmar Kountry Star at a rest stop on I-75 in Florida pulling the Chrysler 200 on a Demco tow dolly.
- 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan – purchased in December 2016. The Sto n Go seats are great. Traded in on the 2018 Kia Soul.
- 2017 Forest River Sunseeker RV – purchased in April 2017 and sold in July 2022. A Class C RV on a Chevrolet Express 4500 chassis. We visited all of the 48 contiguous states (lower 48) in this RV.
- 2018 Kia Soul – purchased in February 2018 sold in January 2019. Put over 15,000 miles on it with only oil changes.
- 2012 Fiat 500 – purchased in January 2019 from an Ebay ad for $3,100 and sold in February 2021.
- 2009 Cadillac Escalade – purchased in July 2022. Sold the 2010 Jeep Wrangler and the 2017 Forest River Sunseeker RV. Also purchased a 2022 Forest River Salem Cruise Lite Travel Trailer.2009 Cadillac Escalade and 2022 Forest River Travel Trailer
- 2017 Buick Cascada – purchased in November 2022. This Cascada was Cathi’s daily driver until July 2023. 2017 Buick Cascada
- 2023 Jeep Wrangler – purchased in July 2023, exactly one year after the purchase of the Cadillac Escalade. This Jeep is Cathi’s daily driver. Sold the 2017 Buick Cascada. 2023 Jeep Wrangler
- 2021 Ram 1500 Bighorn – purchased on February 29, 2024 and traded in the 2009 Cadillac Escalade. This is Dave’s daily driver and will pull the 2022 Forest River Travel Trailer. I love the color – Patriot Blue Pearl, it reminds me of the Ocean Blue Metallic on my 1999 Porsche Boxster. This pickup has the distinction of being the 75th motorized vehicle I have owned. 75th Vehicle Owned 2021 Ram 1500 Bighorn
These 75 vehicles had 9 different colors (with one being silver over red):
- 16-1/2 gray or silver
- 14-1/2 red
- 12 blue
- 11 white
- 7 black
- 6 brown
- 5 green
- 2 orange
- 1 yellow
The list of cars my parents owned is much shorter. My dad owned the following 7 cars:
- 193_ Chevrolet – no photo available
- 1939 Plymouth Business Man’s Special – no photo available
- 1950 Ford Deluxe Coupe
- 1952 Mercury
- 1959 Chevrolet Impala 4 door
- 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 Deluxe Coupe – I learned to drive in this car. It was a 6-cylinder stick shift.
- 1969 Buick Skylark – I loved this car. It was the first V8 that I drove and it could keep up with my friends Camaros and Firebirds.
- 1971 Chevrolet Vega 2 door Kammback Wagon
- 1974 Chevrolet Nova – ‘Spirit of America’ Nova. In anticipation of the US bicentennial in 1976, the limited edition ‘Spirit of America’ Novas were painted white with blue and red stripes.
